


Anything To Take It Back

by justanotherpunk



Category: Bandom, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Magic, Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-12
Updated: 2014-02-12
Packaged: 2018-01-08 14:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1133855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanotherpunk/pseuds/justanotherpunk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To: P Stump<br/>From: Josh<br/><i>tyler's dying </i></p><p>To: Josh<br/>From: P Stump<br/><i>I know</i> </p><p>To: P Stump<br/>From: Josh<br/><i>im not</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Anything To Take It Back

Josh hasn't been with the band long, but he's happy. He feels like he really belongs with Tyler. Alongside him. Playing music. Not _with_ Tyler, he tells himself. 

Because Tyler is amazing. He's talented and passionate and seems to get Josh on this whole other level. He lives and breathes music, and Josh thinks that's all he's ever wanted.

Things are going great. Amazing even. They're working on putting together a real tour, writing new songs, and they've got actual, living, human fans. Maybe there aren't a lot just yet, but there will be. Josh believes in this band with all his heart. 

Except right now he's listening to Tyler and Mark arguing quietly, but heatedly behind the van they had used to haul their gear to the venue. And this does not sound good to Josh at all.

"You have to tell him before this blows up in your face!" Mark sounds downright furious. "Hell, it's already blown up in your face! You shouldn't have done this!"

Tyler sounds wounded. His voice is clipped. Defensive. "You know how these things are! There's always a catch!" 

"You should have known that too! Did you ever think-" Mark groans in frustration, kicking the tire hard enough to make the whole van shake. "This is damn selfish of you and you know it. You can't change it now, so you deal with it and you tell him. Tonight." 

"I thought I was doing more good than harm! I still think that." He sighs, and then softly says, "I'll tell him, Mark. Don't worry."

-

Josh had been five when he made his wish. His mom had told him to wait. She said that he'd want something really special when he was older and to save his wish for then. But at five, Josh was impatient and thought he knew what he wanted.

To be fair, at that moment, he had known what he wanted. He wanted to never feel scared of someone else (in this case, the someone else had been a nine year old at the park who had pushed him off the swings and kicked him until his had a black eye and a bloody nose) 

Sitting on the bench while his mother cleaned the blood from his face, Josh had wished as hard as he could wish, that he'd be strong so no one could ever hurt him again for the rest of time.

-

"Have you made your wish yet?" Tyler asked softly, curled up against Josh's side and hiding his face in the folds of Josh's hoodie. 

Josh grimaces at the memory, a little embarrassed he'd used it up so early. "Yeah. When I was a kid."

"Do you wish you could take it back?" 

Josh shrugs, moving closer to his friend and pulling the covers over both of them. "It had some consequences. They suck. But I can't take it back."

-

Josh doesn't leave his bed for three days after Tyler tells him. He lays there and viciously wishes that he could undo the past. It doesn't do him any good. He's used up his wish.

When he finally stops crying, he just lays there and thinks about everything this means.

Fate is a cruel, ironic bitch.

He hates her.

-

At first, Tyler only uses his power in partial. Josh watches him closely through out the tour, carefully observing how every interaction affects him. 

The shows are incredible, they play hard and honest. The crowds love them, each show more packed then the last. Josh and Tyler stumble off stage with wide grins and sweat slick skin each night, ready to crash.

And each time, there are a handful of wide eyed kids, completely enchanted by the music, loitering around waiting to talk to them. 

Tyler listens to their stories and his heart aches for them, Josh knows it does. He can _see_ Ty shouldering their burdens. And then he looks away because he can't bear to watch Tyler when he takes their hands and breathe deeply; using his stupid fucking healing powers. Using up a little bit of himself to start healing the fans. 

-

Tyler was a sad kid. Josh has known that since they met. It's evidet in the way Tyler carries himself, and it's plain to see in the writing. Happy people don't write like Tyler does. Happy people don't perform with such obsessive urgency.

They lay close together at night, worn out from writing. Josh, feeling braver than usual, ran his hand through Tyler's hair. "It'll get better Ty, I promise."

Tyler let out a slow breath, leaning into the soft touch. "It's not me I'm worried about. It's all the other kids out there."

Josh hadn't known wat to say to that, so he just hummed in agreement and pulled Tyler close.

-

Recording was going great, but Josh couldn't help his reluctance to go into the studio. He _knew_ Tyler was using his powers when he was laying down tracks. 

Maybe he was just being selfish, but to Josh it seemed like a waste. They didn't even know if it would work over a recording. 

The studio's nice, if a bit stuffy, with plush couches and some of the nicest equipment Josh has ever seen. If he wasn't so anxious, he'd be almost as excited as Tyler. (Tyler who spends at least an hour everyday asking questions and testing the limits of their sound; writing snatches of new songs between takes.)

"Hey, you ready?" 

Josh scowled, but grabbed his sticks anyways. "Yeah. Track four, right?"

Maybe beating at his kit would make him feel better about all of this. He doubted it.

-

He hasn't been sleeping, a fact that's painfully obvious to anyone who has eyes. There are dark circles blooming under Josh's eyes and he thinks, not for the first time, that he could put a stop to this if he hadn't been so impatient. He looks at his reflection and fiercely hates what he sees.

-

"Josh. Please. Please don't do this to yourself." Tyler's voice is small, but his hands move in sure circles across Josh's back as he heaves into the toilet. He thinks about how Tyler's tried to heal _him_ of all people and gags again.

-

When Josh was seventeen, someone tried to rob him. He'd been significantly smaller than his assailant, and returned him covered in blood with two broken ribs.

The next morning he left for his baseball game completely fine.

-

Tyler is paler, skinnier, and somehow he's happier. He doesn't eat as much, but sleeps more and he seems cheerful more times than not. 

It seems like for every bad day Josh is having, Tyler's is good.

"You've got to stop obsessing," Ben clucks his tongue before running Josh's character off of the track. "Or losing a game of Mario Kart is gonna be the least of your worries. Seriously it's not healthy."

Josh curls in on himself defensively. "I'm not obsessing."

Ben raises an eyebrow. 

"I'm not!" 

Ben doesn't mention that Josh doesn't sleep well anymore. He doesn't bring up the way he calls for Tyler in his dreams. Ben just shrugs and mumbles something that sounds a lot like 'whatever you say bro' and turns back to the Nintendo.

-

Josh loves touring with Paramore. Hayley and Tyler get on well, and Tyler seems to be significantly distracted from his own powers that Josh can breathe easy. Tyler eats. Tyler sleeps. Tyler even tans.

Things are going better. Josh thinks he might not have to worry anymore.

Then they get the call from Pete.

They've been talking back and forth a lot, planning a tour together and generally getting to know each other better. So phone calls aren't out of the ordinary per say.

Pete sighing heavy and muttering "Fuck. Sorry. It's been tough to focus. Not getting enough sleep." That's unusual to them.

Tyler acts immediately, taking a deep breath and speaking clear and even in a way that only means he's using his powers to heal Pete. He sits like that for a long time, cradling the phone against his ear while his own eyes grow heavier.

Eventually Josh gives up and scoops Tyler into his arms, carrying him to bed.

Pete's text comes nearly ten hours later, Tyler's phone beeping shrilly from its place on the table.

_thnx bro_

-

To: P Stump

From: Josh

_tyler's dying_

To: Josh

From: P Stump

_I Know_

To: P Stump

From: Josh

_im not_

-

Tyler stumbles off stage the first night of Save Rock and Roll tour, pinching his nose to stop the flow of blood.

Josh hands him a fistful of tissue and scrubs furiously at his eyes when he thinks Tyler isn't looking

-

To: P Stump

From: Josh

_i think im in love w him_

-

Tyler knows Josh is mad at him. He's not stupid. But he's trying so, _so_ hard to help people. He just wants his fans to stop hurting

The explanation is a ghost on his lips and Tyler is vaguely aware he's being carried somewhere; and that there is a hand (not his) pressing a T Shirt to his face. It's stained with blood and even when he's half unconscious, Tyler understands what's happened.

It takes ten more minutes before he can understand what's being shouted at him.

"...so damn stupid! How the fuck could you think this was a good idea?" Josh is livid, eyes wide and dark, and nails digging painfully into Tyler's skin. "You're going to die! There will be nothing left! Then what?" 

"They needed me."

That had been the wrong thing to say. Josh dropped him onto the couch, shoving him back roughly. "FUCK TYLER YOU GODDAMN IDIOT!" He screams, eyes shining with tears and fists catching Tyler in the shoulder. "I NEED YOU!"

Tyler drops the shirt and tries to steady Josh. "Don't take it personally, Josh. I was trying to do something good."

"What's good about leaving your best friend behind?"

-

When Josh finally visits at the hospital, he doesn't say anything. He just crawls into bed with Tyler and kisses him with all his might.

"Never again." Tyler whispers against his lips, "I won't do it if you can't come with me."

Josh chokes out a sob.

"I love you." He cries. "Iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou."

-

for the first time in a long time, Josh sleeps just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Idk  
> .  
> sorry about any ooc


End file.
